Method of making plastic boot



July 21, 1959 l. A. ,fusi-:larxlE-HY, JR 2,895,149 5 METHOD OF' MAKING PLASTIC BOOT Filed Aug. l. 1955 INVENTOR. e4 A 55m/5mm@ BWW United States Patent 2,895,149 METHonoF MAKING PLASTIC Boor Ira A. Abernethy, Jr., Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvanial Application August 1,`195'5, Serial No. 525,685

1 Claim. (Cl. 12-142) This invention relates to overshoes or boots, particularly of the molded' vinyl chloride plastisol type, and to an improved method of making the boot yhaving a slide fastener arranged in the front vent opening thereof.

In many articles', 'such as for example overshoes or boots, employing slide fasteners of the type consisting of a pair of fastener stringers having a series of interlocking fastener elements arranged along their opposed edges, it is usually desirable to cover or conceal the fastener or interfere with the operation thereof such as ance of the article and also to protect the fastener against exposure to conditions which might damage the fasener or interfere with the operation thereof such as might happen if foreign materials become lodged between the fastener elements. This necessitates the extending of the covering means or flaps to either side of the vent opening over the fastener, preferably in the form of a divided covering, the two parts of which meet and substantially abut one another along the dividing line of the fastener.

While the present invention may be advantageously employed with various articles or types of overshoes or boots, it is particularly concerned with the application of a slide fastener to a slush-molded boot of the vinyl chloride plastisol type. In accordance with the present invention the boot is molded so as to have means arranged therewith for receiving the slide fastener. In other words, the boot is first completely molded with covering means or flaps arranged therewith and with pockets for receiving the fastener stringer tapes and the fastener is applied to the boot by means of a suitable adhesive after the boot has been molded. It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved method of making a boot wherein the slide fastener may be easily and quickly attached to the boot after it is formed so as to insure a flush or arcuate edge-to-edge engagement of the covering or ap members whereby a smooth surface and inconspicuous line of separation is present at the vent opening when the fastener is closed.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method of applying a slide fastener to a molded boot of the vinyl chloride plastisol type so as to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which effectively conceals the fastener and maintains the edges of the parts in flush abutting relation when the fastener is closed and yet a construction in which the slider of the fastener may be easily manipulated to open and close the fastener.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the type of boot to Patented July 21, 1959 ICC which the present invention relates showing the first step in accordance with my method,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the boot similar to Fig. 1 showing the yoke-like portion being removed.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slide fastener of the type to be attached to the boot,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the slide fastener assembled in the boot, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of`Fig. 5.

While any type of slide fastener may be used 'in the practice of the present invention, a conventional slide fastener is shown which consists of a pair of fabric Stringer tapes 2 having a series of spaced-'apart interlocking fastener elements 3 attached to the opposed beaded edges thereof.` There is arranged on the fastener elements 3 for longitudinal movement therealong, a slider 4 for engaging and disengaging the same in a well-known manner.

For the purpose of illustration, the present invention is shown as being applied to a vinyl chloride plastisol overshoe or boot which is usually slush-molded in a wellknown manner. It will be understood, however, that the application of the invention is not limited to a boot of this type but that the invention can be used in connection with other types of footwear made of a rubber-like or thermoplastic material wherein a slide fastener is adapted to be incorporated.

As has been previously explained, the type of boot shown and with which the present invention is particularly concerned is made of vinyl chloride which is slushmolded. In molding the boot the outside layer 5 is usually slush molded first so as to obtain the proper outside contour. The inner layer or lining 6 is then slush molded within the outside layer 5 so that an integral body portion is obtained.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided in the front portion of both the inner and outer layers 5 and 6 of the boot an inner yoke-like bridging wall portion 7. To either side of the inner yoke-like portion 7 there is provided a marginal flap-like cover portion 9 which covers are extensions of the outer layer 5 with each being spaced from the inner wall portion 6 so as to provide a recess or pocket 10 to either side of the vent for receiving the tapes of the fastener stringers. Directly opposite the yoke-like wall portion 7,l there is provided a substantially V-shaped vent opening 8 positioned between the marginal edges of the flap-like cover portions 9 and which extends from the upper edge of the boot downwardly to a point intermediate the body portion, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings.

After the boot has been molded so as to provide the construction just described, the central portion of the yoke-like portion 7 is removed, by cutting the inner wall portion along the broken lines, as shown in Fig. 2. This can be accomplished by means of shears or any other suitable cutting means. After this central portion of the yoke-like portion is removed it will be seen that a substantially V-shaped opening or slit is provided in the front wall of the boot having inner marginal edge portions 12 and outer marginal edge portions 9 which are substantially superimposed relative to one another. The formation of the boot is now completed and is in readiness for assembling the slide fastener therein.

The fabric tapes 2 of the slide fastener, as shown in Fig. 3, are first preferably treated in any suitable manner to receive a suitable adhesive material, as shown at 13, in order to obtain the proper bond of the Stringer tapes to the vinyl chloride material of the boot. A suitable adhesive material is then applied to both of the stringers 2 and the opposed inner sides of the marginal ap-like porin the respective recesses or pockets 10 between these marginal flap-like portions 12 and 9 and rmly pressed together so that the Stringer tapes will be securely bonded to the inner sides of the marginal flap-like portions 12 and 9, as shown in Fig` 6, so as to provide a completed boot, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

, As a result of rny invention, it will be seen that there is provided a molded boot construction to which a slide fastener can be easilytand conveniently attached by means of a suitable adhesive after the boot has been completely formed. It will be seen that the aps 9 effectively conceal the fastener and will meet in abutting relation along the center line of the vent when the fastener is closed so as to provide a neat appearing closure.

While'I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope Vof my invention as dened in the appended claim. v

What I claim as my invention is:

The method of making a boot having a one-piece molded sole and upper wall structure which comprises providing a boot body upper member having a circumferentially continuous inner wall portion including a bridging portion arranged in one area thereof, said body upper memberv having an outer layer-having spacedapart edges providing a vent opening arranged in said outer layer directly opposite said bridging portion, said vent opening extending from the upper edge of the boot downwardly to a point intermediate said body member, said outer wall layer having a marginal ap portion arranged at each edge thereof as an integral extension of said outer wall layer, each flap being spaced outwardly from said bridging portion, removing the central part of said bridging portion along lines directly opposite the confronting edges of said aps so as to provide spaced inner marginal portions on said inner wall portion, providing a slide fastener comprising a pair of Stringer tapes having co-operating interlocking means arranged along their opposed edges, and finally positioning the Stringer tapes of the fastener in the spaces between the marginal ap portions and the inner marginal wall portions of the boot, and adhesively securing together the marginal ap portions, the Stringer tapes and the inner marginal wall portions of the boot.

References Cited in the le ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,292,455 L Hollier et al Apr. 11, 1942 2,515,050 L Hollier July 11, 1950 2,588,571 Porter Mar. l1, 1952 2,834,987 Teague May 2O,- 1958 

